Edible dental chews for a dog that gulps everything??

[hela]

I've had this old lady for about three years now. She's an 11 year old, 39 lb herding breed-ish mutt that inhales everything.

She MAY bite something in half, if it's too big to gulp down in one go. I can not give her traditional dental chews (like greenies) because she simply does not chew them. I even tried the largest size they make, and had to hold onto it the entire time to make sure she didn't choke on it (she just bit off large chunks and swallowed those).

I was told (by several vets) not to give her antlers, as she will likely fracture another tooth (back molar broke when she was a pup, apparently). She doesn't chew nylabones or similar non-edible toys. She's had cow and pork femurs/knuckles/hooves in the past but loses interest quickly and will not revisit chews (yes, I've tried cycling them in/out to keep them novel). She LOVES loves rawhides, but I am very leery, due to health concerns, of giving them to my dogs.

One vet recommended switching her food to Science Diet...uhm , no thank you. Another suggested a brand called C.E.T oral hygiene treats, but those seem to have a high incidence of dogs choking on them- not something I want to risk with a convicted inhaler-of-all-foodstuffs.

Her last full cleaning was about 1.5 years ago. Her teeth are bad, already, and I honestly can not afford a cleaning anytime soon. I attempt to brush her teeth (she likes to chomp the brush), tartar control stuff is added to her water everyday, and she is on a quality hard kibble. I'm at a bit of a loss, here. I've never met a dog that didn't like to chew!!

TL;DR: Old dog with bad teeth won't chew the regular dental treats. Help?
edit: Here is a pic of ye olde grumpy ass.

 

[dannypham123212]

@hela Have you tried meaty bones? Femurs and knuckles are very hard and mostly meatless and not very interesting to dogs. Bones with meat attached might be a better choice. Like turkey wings, chicken backs, chicken quarters, beef spine (depending on how much meat the butcher leaves on), beef tail etc.

 

[hela]

@dannypham123212 I have, and she will spend maybe two minutes chewing them, maybe. She gives up as soon as she's ripped the meat off (very little chewing on the bone itself). Her front teeth look fantastic, since she prefers to use those on all the meaty raw bones we give her. Back teeth, notsomuch.

 

[hennaz222]

@hela Have you tried kongs or otherwise toys that she needs to work on a bit to get the food out?

 

[hela]

@hennaz222 All her meals (and most snacks) are fed in Kongs, which are great for general feeding/keeping her occupied, but do nothing for cleaning those back teeth.

 

[hennaz222]

@hela They do have kong-like things, although I'm not sure if they're kong-brand, that have bristles and moving parts. They do clean the teeth.

 

[graybiker]

@hela They make a Kong that is very tough for aggressive chewers. Perhaps if you fill that with goodies and peanut butter and freeze it she will have to take her time with it, and she won't be as interested in destroying the Kong (which would be very difficult if you were to buy her the black one).

Have you tried beef marrow bones? Does the vet recommend against them because they are too tough? I suppose you did say she loses interest in bones quickly, but that's my dogs favorite.

It could help if you soaked the nylabone in broth (chicken or beef, just make sure it says something like "50% less salt" or "low sodium"). You just soak it in a bowl of broth for like fifteen minutes and then give it to your dog. It will taste yummier, and could keep her interested. You may want to only give her the edible nylabones if you're going to soak them, as you do not want her swallowing bits of a non-edible one.

This is my pups favorite chew toy EVER. She goes bananas for it. I don't even stuff it with goodies, but it can be stuffed with goodies to keep your dog interested because it is hollow. It's also bacon flavored. It is extremely durable. My pup is an aggressive chewer, and we've actually had this one for a couple of months! Though I do believe it is time to buy her a new one.

 

[hela]

@graybiker She doesn't destroy Kongs- that's not at all an issue. Both her Kongs are for aggressive chewers, as I have other dogs as well.

She does enjoy marrow bones, for about two minutes, then (I guess) decides it's too much work and walks away. She'll only go for the first inch or so of marrow bones, then wants nothing else to do with them-even if I try re-stuffing the tops with other foods (also, the licking required to empty the marrow bones does nothing for those back teeth).

I'll give that toy a shot. Kinda doubt she'll go for it (never having been a fan of soft rubber toys), but my other dogs might appreciate it once it's snubbed.

Already tried the soaking nylabones-in-broth trick. She can't be trusted with the edibles ones (chomps off large chunks and swallows).

 

[nickoala]

@hela What about bullysticks or trachea? you COULD hold them while she chews (she needs to be closely supervised anyway) and they are hard to break off big bits - they get wet as a dog chews and it becomes soft and chewable, unlike a hard "dental treat" that sort of crumbles.

What about raw meaty chicken wings? She will get to to off hunks of may that are OK to swallow, and the bones are soft and crumbly. Weight bearing bones can lead to broken teeth and are way too hard to chew through fire most dogs, try softer bones that don't splinter - chicken wings or necks are good starters. You may need to cut ribbons in the meat and hold it for so she can learn to eat it correctly.

Otherwise, what about Himalayan dog chews? They are a hardened yak cheese.

 

[hela]

@nickoala I have an order of bullysticks on the way! I've always used them as an infrequent "chill out" treat, due to price, and I've never noticed an appreciable difference in dental-health when using them. Of course, all my other dogs have been enthusiastic chewers. Frequent bully-sticks might be the best option at this point!

I did call up my vet and as about the raw wings/backs/necks idea. He advised against it, specifically using chicken/turkey, based on the history of not-chewing, and potential for choking. He wasn't very helpful for other raw food suggestions though. I don't know much about raw feeding in general (honestly, just can't afford it). Is there a larger-animal option for a good raw-food chew we could try?

I've never thought about trachea or himalayan dog chews, though. Definitely going on the list of things to buy. Thank you!

 

[nickoala]

@hela We feed a couple bully sticks each week in addition to a variety of other chews - he spends about an hour in the morning and an hour before bed each day chewing on something, plus any raw bones he gets for meals - so having a variety always available is a good idea!

Raw feeding is actually not that expensive. Most people pay between $50-$100 to feed a medium/medium-large dog for a month (which is comparable to high quality kibble). If you know any hunters or can get deals at local butchers, that number can go way down.

If you want to learn more about raw feeding (even if it is just to 'snoop' or find ways to supplement your current diet) check out:

• Facebook Raw Feeding Community
• Raw Meaty Bones
• /r/rawpetfood

People really like to get uppity when I say this - but not many vets support raw feeding SIMPLY because of the lack of knowledge out there. I am not going to say raw feeding is right for everyone (it's not) or your dog will die if you feed anything else (they wont) - but it is something worth giving a few minutes of thought to. I was EXTREMELY skeptical about it at first, primarily because of how negative and pushy some people within the Raw community tend to be. After a ton of research I was really interested and decided to give it a try. Honestly, I don't see myself ever going back to kibble.

There have been some claims that feeding a raw diet is actually really great for a dog's teeth - not just because of the bones but because of the natural enzymes as well. I wouldn't necessarily preach that to be the absolute truth, but it is an interesting idea. I don't think there has been enough general studies done on dog health/nutrition (we are still figuring out HUMAN nutrition). That is why I am such a big supporter of finding your own feeding philosophy (whatever that happens to be) that you AND your dog thrives on (not just survives on).

//ANYWAY

Depending on the size of your dog will depend on the kind of things you should look into. Our corgi is about 25lbs so chicken wings and necks are the perfect size for him. If your dog is larger in size you can try meaty rib bones, turkey wings/thighs/quarters, turkey necks, meaty pigs feet or any other large, non-machine cut bone that is not weight bearing to a large animal (so, no cow femurs, for example). Be sure to also avoid anything that is cooked, smoked, cured, seasoned or salted (and check that whatever you are buying is less than 100mg sodium per serving - YES raw meat DOES often have sodium in it!).

If you haven't already - make an account on Doggyloot. They often have really good deals on bullysticks, Trachea and himalayan dog chews! We usually stock up or set up reoccuring shipments every few months on things we buy frequently (and it is often a lot cheaper than the pet supply shop!)

 

[hela]

@nickoala Thanks so much! I really appreciate the detailed reply. I am definitely looking into raw food (even if it's just as treats, for now), and made an account on Doggyloot.

 

[lili2707]

@hela Bully sticks are great and hard to break into pieces, just take it when it gets too small. My pup absolutely went nuts for those C.E.T. dental chews, although the ones I had were quite small. If you can find a bigger size of those than I would definitely consider them. Also, there is a Kong bone that has two holes through it on either side, this or another toy like it might be kind of nice to jam smaller things into. I have a little toy that I jam all of Kodas(my six month old pup) greenies into, and it adds a good 2-3 minutes to the time it takes him to eat it.

By the way, in my opinion, rawhide really isn't that terrible, just be sure not to make it a regular thing. You can actually get "dental" rawhide bones that have a tartar control coating on them, which Koda gets maybe once a month. It'll make the rawhide extra valuable to get it only once in a while, and as long as you keep it infrequent there won't be any issues.

 

[mayne70]

@lili2707 My pup goes nuts for the C.E.T. dental chews, too. He gets the large size, which I believe is for dogs 26-50 lbs. We just switched from medium to large, and it's a good 2x the size. It keeps him (a lab) busy for a solid 30 minutes or so. Worth a shot? (I'd still supervise closely, of course.) Good price on Amazon!

 

[lili2707]

@mayne70 For sure! Again, sticking it inside of a Kong will extend that time even more, great for redirecting "zoomies".

 

[hela]

@lili2707 Thank you, I ordered some bully sticks last night. My concern with the C.E.T chews are the high rate of choking seen in large dogs-and, knowing that my dogs has the habit of chewing large pieces, I'm leery to try it.
I know the kong bone you're talking about! I like jamming carrots in the sides- one of the few things this dog will actually CHEW!

Greenies aren't an option, due to the not-chewing problem, unfortunately. Do you get your rawhides from a 100% USA source? If so, I would be interested in checking that company out.

 

[lili2707]

@hela Be careful with the bully sticks as well, once they chew it down to the last few inches they become a choking hazard again, so I recommend purchasing the largest you can find to minimize the amount you have to throw away. I'm actually not sure of the rawhide origins, to be honest I haven't checked. I'm sure that there's some that are 100% USA but I'm actually in Canada so I couldn't tell you. Trachea is also a great thing, and freezing rope toys in a light broth mix is Kodas absolute favorite thing.

 

[hela]

@lili2707 Thanks for the heads up. I never thought about soaking ropes in broth -good idea!

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@hela What about just using toothpaste? Our vet had us buy just some dog toothpaste and I rub it on my dog's back teeth a couple of times a week. She doesn't mind it. We also were told to not give her any soft treats anymore-so she has to have like a hard biscuit rather than one of the softer liver treats.

 

[hela]

@imagebeastmarkbeast Brushing her teeth doesn't make a difference, honestly. I've tried several different brands of toothpaste, but her lack of chewing is the biggest cause of the plaque & tartar build up. I was advised to "find something she will chew," as brushing her teeth is just not working out.